MLS: Shakin' the Foundations: Josef Martínez nets hat trick as knock down D.C. United
- Dan Stickradt
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Josef Martínez netted a hat trick Saturday and that performance was significant in more ways than one.
The San Jose Earthquakes defeated D.C. United 6-1 on Sunday afternoon in Major League Soccer regular season play at PayPal Park in front of 14,196 fans.
Today’s match commemorated Major League Soccer’s Inaugural Game on April 6, 1996. The Quakes, then known as the Clash, defeated D.C. United 1-0 on a late Eric Wynalda goal in front of 31,683 fans at Spartan Stadium in San Jose—an attendance record for a sporting event in the city at the time. Current Earthquakes Head Coach Bruce Arena was on the opposite sideline in the same role for D.C. United, while current Earthquakes midfielder Ian Harkes’ father John was a defender for the visitors.
Several former players from both teams were honored on the field at halftime: Wynalda, John Doyle, Eddie Lewis, Altimont “Freddie” Butler, Troy Dayak, Tom Liner, Dave Gold, Ramiro Corrales and Dave Salzwedel for the Clash, and Arena, Harkes, Jeff Agoos, Shawn Medved and Marco Etcheverry on hand for D.C. United. Quintessential Earthquakes and Clash cheerleader Krazy George also made his triumphant return to PayPal Park.
As for the game, the Quakes got off to a scorching start in the eighth minute when forward Cristian “Chicho” Arango headed a Cristian Espinoza corner kick off D.C. forward Christian Benteke past goalkeeper Joonhong Kim for a 1-0 lead. The hosts doubled their advantage in the 16th minute when forward Josef Martínez and midfielder Niko Tsakiris played an unconventional one-two with their heads in transition, with a streaking Martínez the final beneficiary for the clinical finish.
The goal was Martínez’s 118th in MLS play, elevating him past Bradley Wright-Phillips for sixth on the league’s all-time list. San Jose wasn’t finished, and in the 20th minute, midfielder Beau Leroux was awarded a penalty kick after being fouled in the box by midfielder Matti Peltola. Quakes forward Cristian Espinoza converted from the spot in the 20th minute to make it 3-0. With his 33rd goal in Black and Blue, the Argentine captain jumped to fourth on the club’s all-time scoring list, passing Landon Donovan. Christian Benteke pulled one back for the visitors in the third minute of stoppage time in the first half after heading home a Derek Dodson cross from the right wing to make it 3-1.
The second half saw more attacks coming to fruition for the Black and Blue, as Martínez made it a brace in the 81st minute. The Venezuelan striker took in an incisive pass from forward Amahl Pellegrino and blasted it home to make it 4-1. Pellegrino added a goal of his own in the 90th minute for his first of the season, assisted by second-half substitutes Jamal Ricketts and Mark-Anthony Kaye for a 5-1 margin. Then in the second minute of stoppage time, Espinoza curled a ball from the right wing behind the D.C. back line for Martínez, who slotted the ball into the back of the net for the hat trick and final 6-1 scoreline.
The Black and Blue will now travel to Los Angeles next Saturday, April 12, to take on Los Angeles Football Club. Kickoff from BMO Stadium will take place at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (English/Spanish), as well as on local radio via KSFO 810 AM (English) and 1370 AM La Kaliente (Spanish).
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